Why You Should Let Your Light So Shine, Even When Darkness Tries to Fight It

As I have grown more and more in the spiritual things of God, with more to grow into, I’ve developed more of an awareness, as so will you as you grow into the same, that many ways of the world have been strategically twisted to conceal what needs to be known. For example, that old adage, “what you don’t know won’t hurt you” is NOT always the truth. Many times it’s a tool of appeasement to keep you from probing deeper into what needs to be known. Yes, it may not hurt you if you didn’t know that I ate a slice of pizza today, but it would hurt you if you did not know someone embezzled money from offshore accounts in relation to something that affects you. This is partially what The Lord refers to in Hosea 4:6, where it states; “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge…” This is not necessarily referencing knowledge we learn in school, but additionally & first & foremost, knowledge of God, AND… knowledge of other happenings we don’t know but should.

In that verse, God was speaking to spiritual leaders who had turned away from Him to self-indulge on their own desires, worshipping idols that fed those desires stoked with jealously of others who were or seemed more blessed or better fit for the work He called them to. All the while, influencing the people who followed them to follow their idolatrous ways. This caused the people, from all walks of life, to stray away from The Lord, and follow immoral ways that were against His will. Imagine how this affects society; our school, economic, healthcare, and government systems, to say the least.

When used appropriately, Truth is Light, and Light is Power. God is Light. James 1:17 mentions God as the Father of Lights. In John 1:9, Jesus is described as the “…True Light…”, and in John 1:5, it’s explained that “… the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” Much can be read into the phrase “…darkness did not comprehend it.” In other versions, such as the NIV, it states that “…darkness has not overcome it.” For, the sake of the context of this article, I will stick to the concept of darkness’ lack of comprehension of the light. For, there are many who operate in darkness who cannot understand the benefit of the light.

John 16:8 teaches us about the Holy Spirit that, “…when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.” God Loves You! God Loves ALL of us, and that’s why He’s sent us His Spirit to help us out of the blindness of walking in darkness. The conviction that the Holy Spirit brings, in addition to comfort and wise counsel, is NOT to condemn but to steer us FROM ways that bring Divine condemnation! And, I want to remind you, Jesus’ Work on the Cross does not abolish the law, but fulfills the law by giving us two major things: a Final Sacrifice for Atonement for Sin AND the Holy Spirit, which when we accept Him and don’t continuously and deliberately grieve Him, empowers us to turn from our own ways of living to God’s ways of living.

Luke 8:17 says “For there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing concealed that will not be known and illuminated.”

As Jesus was from the beginning with God, according to John 1:1, and is the same yesterday today and forever, we see in Ezekiel chapter 8 where God revealed all detestable things done in darkness in His temple. He had Ezekiel probing into walls and closed doors, discovering the messy misconduct that went on behind them. This was not to equip Ezekiel to gossip or use truth to hurt anyone by slander, but it was to set things right to help the innocent affected, as well as to give people who did those deeds a chance to accept God’s grace, experience His hope, and escape Divine judgement.

Know, beloved of God, that condemnation isn’t only referencing that which comes for eternity, but what happens right here in the land of the living. Without the light, secret and shameful things go on in the dark; behaviors that would continue, at times, simply because no one knows about them. How many do you know who told the truth about some shameful deed done in the dark but was threatened shunned and ignored, so those evil deeds continued? It only takes to know one, to understand that point of view. And, perhaps, that one person was you. Children taken advantage of because those taking the advantage won’t allow anyone in, who will discover and uncover what they do to the children. Or, people getting fired because they know too much of dirty truth, and so are seen as liabilities to the organization’s underhanded and undercover standard operating procedures that keep them functioning. Without warning, Divine retribution is bound to come to those responsible for those dark deeds while The Lord protects & shields the innocent. Which is why entire nations can fall into the hands of their enemies due to secret and shameful strategies that were discussed behind closed doors only between those involved, without any proper oversight that shines a light.

From the very young and innocent, from the mouths of babes, utterances of what’s actually right, children are known to express fear of the dark. As many grow older, this concept is taught to be wrong, and they become less afraid of the dark. And yet, though maybe not explicitly taught, become more afraid of the light for fear of what might be found. This, yet another human practice that opposes the ways of God, when thought of on the spiritual and moral levels. I say this not to suggest that we should literally live in fear of the dark; for, fear isn’t of God. But, I say this to encourage a healthy concern regarding activities done in secret that are harmful to others and/or to a person’s self.

Luke 8:16 encourages us not to cover our light in saying; “No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.” Those who operate in deeds of darkness won’t be pleased but peeved that the spotlight’s on them. But, John 3:20,21 reminds us that “Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever practices the truth comes into the Light, so that it may be seen clearly that what he has done has been accomplished in God.” So beloved, if you’ve been positioned for such a time as this, to shine the light on some areas that could mend a relationship, release & heal the abused, or to save a country from destruction brought upon it as a result of dark deeds conducted from within, let your light so shine, no matter how much those who walk in darkness fight you.

Know, The Lord is on your side. May He strengthen you by loosing His Spirit of Light and His Spirit of Truth to ensure you shine brightly for the entire time, and in every area, needed.